Every Wrestling Rookie Of The Year: Where Are They Now?

26. 1997 - Mr. Águila

Essa Rios Lita
WWE.com

A magazine sensation in 1997, Aguila was one of the few cruiserweights who wasn't on the radar of WCW - or, if he was, the WWF took the highly unusual step of signing a 19 year-old to bolster their new "if we have to..." light heavyweight scene.

He was exciting, but very raw. He was a bad fit: the WWF's in-house regulations capped what he could do, and he himself needed to be patrolled to a halfway good match. Eddie Guerrero couldn't work his magic with him at Backlash 2000, for example; that midcard effort was only just above average.

He returned to Mexico in 2001, and he stayed there outside of a brief TNA run. He experimented with a striking body paint look - good! - but he never did tap into the potential he held in '97. His work was and is...not exactly rave-reviewed in hardcore lucha fan circles.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!